Montlake Boundary Map

UPDATED with MCC President comments

A request to change the southern boundary of Montlake Community Club (MCC) has been brought before the Montlake Community Club.  According to the “official” description in the bylaws, the southern boundary line is E Galer St.  Residents that live just south of E Galer St have approached the MCC about expanding the boundary because, even though they feel they are part of Montlake, they are not truly recognized as “Montlake”.

The MCC Board approved a motion to officially bring to a member vote the proposal to make E Helen St the southern boundary line which is four blocks south of E Galer St, the current boundary.

The only way to change the official boundaries is to change the MCC Bylaws which requires a vote by the MCC members.  MCC members include all residents and business owners within Montlake.  This proposal must be posted on the Montlake Flyer for at least 30 days for the community to consider and members can submit their vote by mail or on-line.  This post serves as the official notice.

To be approved, the proposal must receive 2/3 approval from all of the votes submitted by members.  You must submit a vote for it to count.

Update: Voting Has Closed

Or look for “Vote” at the top of the web page and follow the instructions. Alternatively, you may submit a vote by mail. A ballot is provided in the paper version of The Montlake Flyer that is currently being distributed to Montlake residents within the next few days.  The results of the vote will to posted on Montlake.Net after the required time period.

UPDATE:

I would like to thank everyone for their online comments and suggestions regarding the proposed boundary change which is obviously a controversial topic.  I’ve been following the conversation closely and now I would like to try and provide some history and answer questions about this issue.

What is a Montlake Community Club (MCC) “official” southern boundary change?  Is it a land grab?

No, a community club doesn’t grab land.  MCC and other community clubs and councils aim to foster community and offer representation.  An “official” boundary change is simply a change of the area the community club represents.  It is not a neighborhood definition change.  There are many common interests between residents of Montlake currently falling with the boundaries of the club, and residents of areas not within the boundaries.  Common interests include bicycle and pedestrian safety, traffic, bus service and schools.  Joining together gives members a louder voice so that hopefully we will be heard.

If the boundary change is approved, does that mean my neighborhood will change from the Arboretum to Montlake?

No, of course not.  But, in addition to pooling resources with neighbors to work on specific issues, you can get the support of the Montlake Community Club, its representation, its support in obtaining grants, improvements to streets, access to parks, school issues, etc.  You also can volunteer on the MCC Board, represent the MCC at East District meeting to vote on grants, etc.

How and when did this proposal start?

The idea to change the “official” southern boundary has been discussed for a while.  It first began as conversations with some residents who live south of E Galer St, our official southern boundary.  They expressed a desire to be included in the Montlake Community Club representation area.  As they are not officially part of Montlake they are ineligible to serve on the MCC Board which is a well organized neighborhood group recognized by city and state officials.

Because of this, The Montlake Community Club started doing some research on the area south of E Galer St, east of 23^rd Ave E, north of E Madison St, and west of Lake Washington Blvd, an area where exact neighborhood boundaries have sometimes seemed unclear.  We found that, according to the Madison Valley Community, their northern boundary is E Madison St.  Some say it is E Helen St, but if that is true, it is not backed up by their own neighborhood description which is clearly stated on their website.  Last year the past MCC President, Julee Neuhart, contacted the Madison Valley Community Council and she reported that they supported a club boundary change.  A few months ago, I contacted Zachary Pullin, the President of the Capitol Hill Community Council, and he confirmed their east boundary is 23^rd Ave E and he also supported a club boundary change.  Residents that identify as the “Arboretum” proved to be more difficult to communicate with as a whole, however, we did find that the people we did speak to supported the idea.  Considering all of this, the MCC felt a change in the boundary was worth pursuing.

According to the MCC Bylaws, the only way to change the boundary is through a vote by members, which must receive 2/3 approval.  Unfortunately, according to the Bylaws, only members that live inside the official boundaries are allowed to vote.  The decision to bring this to a vote was made and approved at the December MCC Board meeting, ballots were printed and distributed in the Montlake Flyer and on the Montlake.Net website.

What is Montlake Community club’s motivation to change the club boundary?  What are the Pros?

We simply want to provide representation to everyone who lives in Montlake and Arboretum neighborhoods because we all share common interests.  A larger group certainly speaks with a louder voice and maybe E Helen St should have been the southern border all along.  We also benefit by possibly getting more volunteers that have the desire and drive to get involved and make a change.

What are the Cons?

The MCC does not recognize any Cons at this time.  If you fall within the boundary area, you automatically become a member.  No forced fees, no obligation whatsoever.  You can, in fact, ignore the MCC if you want to.

Bryan Haworth
Montlake Community Club, President